Method and apparatus tor separating fibrous and non-fibrous materials



L. c. amma. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBROUS AND NON-FIBROUS MATERIALS IN FOOD PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28. I918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

L. C. GEHRING.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING naaous AND won-nanous MATERIALS m F000 PBODUCTS.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC-28. I918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS c. GEHRING, or CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO.

IN FOOD PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed December 28, 1918'. Serial No. 268,656.

and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Separating Fibrous and Non- Fibrous Materials in Food Products, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates (to a method apparatus for separating the fibrous and non-fibrous materials in food products and possesses special utility in its application and for separating and removing the silk, husks and hard shells from a mass of edible corn or equivalent food.

The apparatus heretofore employed for removing silk and other foreign particles from the corn after it has been cut from the cob, has been more or less faulty and defective with the result of producing inferior grades of canned corn, and at the same time involving considerable expense through waste. That is to say, machinery heretofore employed for accomplishing the separation of foreign particles from the kernels has been of such a nature that it soon becomes clogged with silk and other foreign matter whereby its primary function is defeated. And, furthermore, the matter of keeping machines of this character in a proper sanitary condition is difficult, since, owing to the labor involved in taking apart and cleaning, many operators leave considerable corn and waste matter in the machine which sours and ferments while on the other hand if the waste material is removed, considerable good corn is carried along with the waste, and much edible corn that might otherwise be used is lost.

Accordingly, the invention has primarily ii view a novel method and machine for rendering the ultimate product more wholesome and of a higher quality by thoroughly removing the silk which usually adheres to the raw kernels of the corn as it comes from the cutting apparatus and also removing pieces of husk and hard shells by the same operation.

a A further and distinctive object of the in vention is to render the silk and like particles of such a character that they may be readily separated from the corn itself. That is to say, the invention contemplates an apparatus which provides for a preliminary treatment of the corn which takes all of the life or stiffness out of the silk and pieces of husk whereby they become relatively limp or flaccid so that their separation from the comminuted mass may be readily assured.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel dc-silker or separator 'device which not only thoroughly cleans the corn as it passes therethrough, but at the same time preserves its integrity and prevents wastc, since it presents no parts which would collect or accumulate edible portions of the mass being operated upon. In connection with this further important object of the invention it is to be noted that it is proposed to provide a separating device which is susceptible of being cleaned with great facility in a minimum space of time,

and as often as conditions require without dismantling the machine or disturbing any of its operative parts.

With the above and other objects in View, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the preferable machine employed to carry out the method consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical arrangement of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a front elevation of my apparatus, partly in section, and showing the separating reel.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view thereof.

Similar references designate correspond ing parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the preparation ofcorn for canning purposes, the kernels of the raw corn are first severed from the cob by the knives of a suitable cutting machine, and the corn thus severed from the cob usually contains considerable pieces of silk or pieces of husk which it has been impossible to remove in the husking operation, and in order to prepare the corn in its most wholesome and palatable form, it is of course desirable to remove these foreign particles. Although machines have been heretofore pro-videdifor the purpose of. removing this silkand portions of husk, colo and shells, the separation has been more or less'deficient, and with a view to correcting this fault the present invention has particu larly in view a novel form of apparatus which has provision for subjecting the mass of corn after it comes from thecutting machine to a steam bath which has the effect of 'rendering'the silk, husk, etc., particles flimsy or flaccid whereby as they encounter the sepi arating means in the course of thepassage of the mass of corn through the apparatus,

they will" be arrested by embracing or entwining themselves about the individual members of the novel separating means hereinafter described; I

Accordingly, in order to carry out the foregoing object the present apparatus em bodies in its organization a suitable vat or tub ,unit; designated generally as 1, and

which maybe duplicated as often as desired, according to therequired capacity of the machine as may be observed. for instance, from Fig. l,which shows two units. These "vats or'tubs are preferably provided with a transversely rounded bottom portion 2 slightly inclined at one end as at 3, and may also be provided as shown with thedelivery spout 4:, controlling gate 5 and cover or sealinglid 6, the latter rendering the 'vatI sub} 'stantially air-tight, whereby steam admitted from the outlet nozzle or rose7 of a steam thereona helical flightof spaced paddles10 .which are adapted to thoroughly agitate the 'comminuted massof corn placed within the chamber of the vat, .and at the same time operate as a screw to feedthe corn toward the discharge spout 4. v I

7 With the above arrangement it will be apparent that when the raw corn is placed in the .chamber of the vat, it will be thoroughly .agitated in the presence of steam issuing from thenozzle :7, andat this point itmay be noted that when the raw corn is placed in the vat there isfalso mixed therewith a suitable quantity of seasoning material, syrup',-corn starch and the like which also becomes thoroughly mixed with the 'massof corn whose temperatureis of courseraised 'tov a certain degree but not suflicient to cook the same, as this part of the operation is reserved until after the corn has had all of the silk, husk and like particles removed by the novel separating' means. to be presently referred to; However, this preliminary heat:

' ing serves the doublefunction of assisting nthe mixing of'the seasoningingredients with thema ss and also taking the stiffness is life but of the silk, husk portions, hard shells of the corn and like particles, as previously indicated. V One end of the agitator shaft 9 is provided with a sprocket 11 which receives a" chain 12 operated by a driving sprocket 13 carried upon'a main driving shaft 14: as- 1 7 shown in Flgs. 2 and3. The sa1dfcha1n 12,f 1n the arrangement shown serves to impart,

motion to both of the sprocket wheels 1111' of the'two units l1, and for the purpose of taking up the slack in the chain 12, the 1 well known expedient of an idler pulley 15 7 may be employed. The main drive shaft 14 which has keyed thereto the sprocket 13 also so has loosely fitted thereon a relatively large f power sprocket 16 adapted to cooperate with a suitable clutch device 17includinga handle 11 18 to connectand disconnect. theshaftfl' with the source of power which is-commw' nicated through thesprocket chain 19.. Be-

tween the sprocket wheels 13 and 16, on'the V shaft 14, and keyed thereto, is another sprocket wheel 20 intended to operate achain 21 meshing with the spurs of a sprocket wheel 22' carried upon a shaft 23 'journaled at oneside of the frame F of the apparatus; o 1 Thus, it will be seen that the drive shaft .14 will in turn operate the shaft 23' through the sprocket chain, and sprocket connections 20,

21, and 22. .The end of the shaft 23 opposite sprocket wheel 22 may be provided with "a bevel gear 24, which latter inturn meshes with a bevel gear 25 carried upon the shaft 26 of the separating unit and designated generally as S.

This separating unit S constitutes anes' ti'cularly distinctive, because of the fact that it includes a novel cylindrical screen member-which separates and collects pieces of,

se'ntial. part of the apparatus, and ispar- 1 V silk, husk and the like from the mass of."

heated ;corn which passes ring to the special features andjcharacter istics of this separating unit, it maybe clearly observed from; Figs. 1 and 2that the 1 same includes a suitable hopper 27"having an inclined bottom 28 and delivery spout Y 7 29'with one end wall thereofopen as in;

diametrically through the same .whilein motion. Referdicated at 30. Thishopper27' occupies a position'belo'w thefvat units 11, and contains a'no vel separating re'eldesignated as R disposed beneath the discharge spouts of the units 1 whereby as the combined agi-' tater and conveyer within. the vat expels the comminuted mass of corn and season ing ingredlents, the entire mass w1ll be 7 caused to pass diametrically through the separating reel which; is rotating, before; passing-out of the delivery spout 2Q 'of the hopper to the cooker. p Z

The separating reelR, includes, as pretially consists of thisfelement and the "end viously indicated, the shaft 26 and essen-x i means of suitable spacers or tie rods 33.

. .These end frames 31 and 32 constitute bases or anchoring walls for a multiplicity of separating wires 34 which are preferably arranged in a plurality of concentric series from the periphery to the axis of the reel which is shaft 26. These wires 34 are preferably spaced'about one inch apart in the circumference of a circle, and the wires of the adjoining concentric circular series are arranged so that they are not in the same radial plane as those of the first series, etc. In other words while the wires 34 are placed in concentric circular series, they are, with reference to the diameter of the reel, arranged in staggered relation, thereby greatly contributing to the screening effect produced upon the corn fed from the spouts 4 of the vats.

As the temperature of the corn issuing from the vats has been raised by the steam discharged into the mass, all of the stiffness or life will be taken out of the silk, husks and the like, whereby as the mass passes through the reel the said silk, husks, etc. will have a tendency to wrap around .-or embrace the wires 34 and cling thereto while the good part of the corn passes on through to the bottom of the hopper and out through the discharge opening 29. Thus, in'this way it is proposed to separate the undesirable portions of the mass from the edible part of the cornto render the latter uniformly clean and free from foreign particles which would otherwise pass on through to the cooker, and from thence into the cans.

1 the reel R is of considerably greater length than the hopper 27 as the one end thereof projects through the opening 30 in one of the hopper walls. The object of this particular arrangement is to provide for cleaning the wires of the reel and conveniently carrying the waste matter off from the hopper 27. As shown in Figs. 1 and'2 the reel is provided with a plurality of longitudinally shiftable Wiper disks or cleaners 35,

V said disks being of substantially the same diameter asthe reel and having therein a plurality of perforations corresponding to the spacing and arrangement of the wires 34, and j also a main central openingfor accommodating the shaft 26. Ordinarily a set of three of these disks may be employed although it will of course be understood that any desired number may be used when the capacity of the machine requires more than this number. And, at the beginning of the separating operation these disks all preferably occupy a position at the gear end of thereelso-that at any time during the desilking and separating operation that the wires become contaminated or foul, one of the disks 35 may be shifted longitudinally across the hopper and carry along with it all of the material on the wires to a point beyond the limit of the hopper 27, where the waste may be removedfrom the wires by the use of a stream of water from a hose, or any other convenient and available means. After the vats have been emptied of their contents and all of the wires have been cleaned by the shifting of the wiper disks toward the waste end of the reel, the disks 35 may then be returned to the opposite end of the reel before the next operation starts,

as there is usually some few minutes required between. the complete emptying of the vats and the refilling, mixing and heating for the next screening operation. This time interval permits of thoroughly cleaning the de-silking unit S for the subsequent operation.

From the foregoing it is believed that it will be apparent that the invention provides a simple and practical means for removing silk and like particles from the corn as it passes from the cutting machine to the cooker, and in this connection it is to be mentioned that an important and distinctive feature of the invention resides inpreheating or preliminarily subjecting the'mass of raw corn to such a heat as W111 render the foreign particles lifeless or flaccid whereby when they encounter the wires of-the separating or de-silkin reel, they will be easily well as effectively cleaning the mass of corn,

but at the same time the heating of the raw corn which has primarily in view the rendering of the silk limp and lifeless, also facilitates the final cooking operation because of the latent heat which remains in the corn after this first heating.

From the foregoing, description it will appear that while the applicants invention possesses special utility in its application for separating and removing the silk, husks and hard shells from a mass of edible corn, it will also be applicable in the treatment and preparation of equivalent food products wherein it is desirable to provide a practical method and appartaus for separating or segregating the fibrous from the non-fibrous material in a mass of food product. In this connection it will be understood that the term non-fibrous material, as employed herein refers to the edible part of the food product such as the kernels of corn, and the term fibrous material refers to the waste or non-edible parts of the product such as corn silk, husks and shell particles.

en mass@ -to a sterilizing heat to efiect' a devitalization of thesilk, and a separator arranged to receive the heated mass of mate- "rial and having means for trapping and col- 'lectingthe: flaccid silk. a V

' 2. An" apparatus for removing silk, husk-,f and like-particles from a comniinuted mass '1 of raW' corn, including vat for heating} said Illf LSS and 'arotatable reel including a "plurality of spaced longitudinally disposed Wires arranged in the path or dischargeof the comnnnu'ted mass from the vat.

3. An apparatusforwremoving silk, husk,

1 and like particles from a comminuted mass '7 of'raw corn, including a vat for l-ieating' the -raw corn,- and a separating unit-"disposed 111 atli'ef path of the" discharge 'from the vatincluding means forarresting cramming the silk, husk and like particles, While permit i ting the mass of corn-topass tl'ie'rethrough. i Arr-An apparatus for removing silk, husk, andlike partioles 'froni-a comn inuted'niass of: raw' cor'n, including' a heating vat" for rendering the silk flaccid," and 'de-sil-king reel including a plurality of spaced Wires parallel to-its aXis,- an'd so arranged-that the *corn discharged from* the vat pas'sesdiametrically therethrough; r i 5."An apparatus for removing-'silhhusk, and like-particlesfrom a 'comminutedmass of raW 'corn, includinga vat, alsteam connection 'thereto f or heating a mass of raw corn placed therein, a combined oonv'eyer and agitator inthe' vat, a' separating unit arranged inI-the path of the ma'ss discharged from the vat and including a plurality of 1 longitudinally disposed Wires and means for synchronously rotating the reel andcom- 7 bined conveyer and agitator.

6. An apparatus for removing silk, husk, and like particles from a comminuted mass 10f raw corn, including aheating'nnit for the raw corn havinga'disohargespout, anda' desilking unit including'a: rotatalole de silking reel arranged in the. path ofdischar geffrom said spout, and means for removing the silk collected by said reel from the zone ofdisconveyer rotatably supported Within the vat,

V a steam distributing jet'arrangedfat an inter V mediate point inithe bottom of thefunitand a-sealing cover therefor; f H

8. In an apparatus for de silk-ing eorn in eluding a vat'un'it havinga discharge spout j' p I niova 'ltile lengthvvise of said Wires, and l a 'p rojecting from-one end, -and a separating d includ ing a-separating reel having its charge from said spout -thereo-f.

axis arraiigedbati right angles to the longitudinal center of the vat unit and in the path of'dis-' *9. Anyapparatus f for desilki'ng. 'corn'fiineluding a vat unit for fheatingcorn, and a separating unit eonsistingof a hopper hav ing an inclined bottom and a discharge'outlet,- a SeparatingreeI rjournaled in the hopper f andincluding "a plurality: of longitudinally V idisposed and spaced Wires, 'said separating -reel projecting "through and beyond one of the side Walls of the hopper, andm'eansc'arried by the reel'for' 'displ-acing zthe *foreign i matter colleotedcby said' vvires totlie end of the reelbeyond the hopper. I '10, An apparatus for' de-si l ki ng corn in I eluding a vat unit for heating corn, and *a separating unit consistingaof a hopper havin'g ani nclined'bottom andadisoharge outi I let; a separating reel? j ournaled'in the-hopper} and including a'plurality oi -longitudinally disposed and spaced Wires, said 7 separating reel projecting through and beyond one of jecting beyond thephopp er, waste material' 1 clinging to the wires vvillf'he removedfrom' the-Zone of'separationg- :1 ll.- An-'apparatus for de-silkingCornin- '-cludinga vatun it'for subjecting the corn 7 tea ,devitali-zingheat, a separating unit for r; v 7 *cooperating vvith said vat unit'afid includ ing a hopper, afjrelatively long separating reel arranged 'longitudinally'within the V hoppertm'd projecting beyond oneend there; 7 0f, 'saidreel'consisting of a shaftgl'endivalls carried; thereby, tie rods'connecti-ngthe end 'W2L llS,V-2L1f1l{ a multiplicity of spaced Wires" strung betweentheendfwalls. j' w i i r "12.A machine for separating 'the fibrousv 7' material' from'fno'n' fibrousjmaterial in a "mass of foodp'rodu'ct' including'alreel hav ing' a plurality of longitudinalffiber trapping members :arranged in- *variable spaced I a j relationto' the'airisfof th e reel," andjmean s" 7 l forf removing th'e material trapped by said inembers. f 7 1 1 13'. l A machine for separating the fibrous from thenon-fibrousmaterialina masslof -food'product including a reel having apllr -ralit-y of longitudinal'wires arranged in 'spiacedfrelation'tothe axis of the reel, and" V a 1 cleaner iIIlGIIilQBIf arranged longitudinally lengthwise of said Wires.

tion around said" axis, a cleanenmen ber hopper-arranged underneath onlyfa part of 1 i said reel.' r V V :14. 'Amaohine-f r separatingflthe fibrous niaterial'from the non-fibrous materialinga mass 'of' food: product including a reel hav ring: a horizontal-axis andfa plurality ofllon- 125 gitudinal' Wires'jarran'ged in spaced rel'ae v 15. The herein described method of separating the fibrous from the non-fibrous material in a mass of food product, which consists in first treating the mass to render the fibrous material more readily separable from the non-fibrous material, and subsequently withdrawing the fibrous material from the non-fibrous material.

16. The herein described method of separating the fibrous from the non-fibrous material in a mass of food product which consists in first treating the mass to render the fibrous material flaccid, and subsequently withdrawing the flaccid material from the non-fibrous material.

17. The herein described method of separating the fibrous from the non-fibrous material in a mass of food product which consists in first treating the mass to heat to render the fibrous material more readily separable from the non-fibrous material, and subsequently withdrawing the fibrous material from the non-fibrous material.

18. The herein described method of separating the fibrous from the non-fibrous material in a mass of food product which consists in first treating the mass to heat to devitalize the fibrous material, and subsequently withdrawing the devitalized material from the non-fibrous material.

19. The herein described method of desilking corn which consists in heating the mixture of edible and waste portions re moved from the cob so as to render the waste portions flaccid, and then withdrawing the flaccid waste portions from the corn.

20. The herein described method of desilking corn which consists in heating the mass of edible and non-edible portions of the mixture at a temperature which will render the non-edible ortions flaccid but not cook the edible portions, and then withdrawing the edible from the non-edible portions of the mixture.

21. The herein described method of desilking corn which includes heating the mixture, kernels and waste matter, such as silk, husk and shells, seasoning said mixture while being heated, and then Withdrawing the fiaccid waste matter from the corn.

22. The herein described method of desilking corn which includes heating and agitating the mixture of kernels and waste matter such as silk, husks and shells, and then withdrawing the flaccid waste matter from the corn.

23. The herein described method of desilking corn which consists in heating, agitating and seasoning the mixture of kernels and waste matter, such as silk husks and shells, and then withdrawing the kernels from the waste matter.

24. The herein described method of treating corn which consists in heating the mass 5 of kernels and waste matter at a temperature which will render the Waste matter limp but not cook the kernels, and then Withdrawing the kernels from the waste matter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS C. GEHRING.

\Vitncsses:

M. A. SWEETMAN, CHARLES H. MAY.

iiopies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

